Life and Death
by BaOgden
Summary: Torchwood find a machine in the middle of nowhere and it has some life changing effects.


It had been 4 months since she had lost Rhys. She got out of bed, remembered where and who she was, and put her clothes on. She wandered to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. When she was dressed and ready she got a call from Jack. 'Gwen? We need you here. Now.'

When she walked in she took in her surroundings, Tosh, Owen, Ianto and Jack were all stood in a circle, and Jack holding an old-looking box. It kept making this irritating beeping noise. 'What is it?' Gwen asked as she joined the circle.

'We don't know', Owen informed her.

'Well, we _think_.. that it's some sort of box', Ianto said, somewhat sarcastically.

'Why is it making that annoying noise?' Gwen asked, looking at Jack as if she had just been awoken by a screaming child.

'That's what we're trying to find out', Jack said, handing Tosh the box while she ran some scans.

'Where did it come from?' Gwen asked.

'We found it last night. We were walking to get something to eat and we saw it.. in the street. It must have come through the rift', Ianto explained.

They all stood and observed at the box for a while, and after much research, Tosh had informed them that it had indeed come through the rift, and that it was almost like a sat-nav, its purpose to lead whoever was using it to a location in which the other half was.

'Except it doesn't have that annoying voice', Owen said, staring at it.

'Mine's set to Irish. Can't get enough of it', said Ianto.

'We just need to know what it leads to..' Jack muttered. 'And the only way to know that is to follow it. Get your coats', Jack said, walking towards the door.

It felt like they were walking for hours - especially with Owen moaning about the mud - but not too long after they left, they reached this empty pit which when it rained looked like it would be a huge muddy mess. Inside the pit was a very large machine.

'It's huge' Ianto said as they approached the huge contraption.

'I've heard that before', Jack replied. Ianto smirked.

'I wonder what it does..' Tosh said, looking at it curiously. The machine was large, about 6 feet tall. There was a little room the size of a cupboard, except there was no door, and two poles sticking up from the top of it. It was making weird noises. At the back there was a control panel.

'It looks to me like..' Jack trailed off in astonishment.

'What?' Gwen asked him.

'If this is what I think it is..' Jack continued.

'What?' Owen asked, sounding annoyed.

'I didn't even think they existed anymore' Jack whispered.

'Jack..' Ianto started. Everyone was in suspense, waiting for Jack to tell them what the hell this giant machine was.

'It's an immortality machine', Jack finally told them.

'What?' they all said.

'It's weird though.. I mean, it doesn't just turn anyone into an immortal. It has to be someone that _really _wants it, who needs it. That has nothing to lose. I didn't even know that this existed.. I thought it was a myth.'

'So what do we do with it?' Tosh asked him.

It was a rarity, but Jack was speechless. Then he turned to Owen. 'You know what this could mean?' Jack asked him.

'Are you sure?' Owen asked him.

'What are you both on about?' Gwen asked irritably.

'If Owen goes into this machine, it _could, _and I stress on the 'could', bring him back to life. But we don't know at what cost. For all we know it could destroy him', Jack replied.

'To be honest, Jack, if this is the chance to bring me back to life, I'm not going to skip it. Even if we're not completely sure what it does', Owen told him.

Jack nodded understandingly. They both walked towards the machine. 'All of you stay there!', Jack shouted to the others, a few feet away.

'Hang on a second, Jack. Are you mental? This machine could _kill _Owen.. And I know he's already dead but I mean _kill _kill. As in, no more Owen. And you're prepared to do that?' Gwen asked incredulously.

'I know, Gwen, but Owen's prepared to do it. Think of what it could do. Bring him back to life! Are you ready, Owen?' Jack asked. Owen just nodded. Jack was stood at the control panel at the back, and started pressing buttons. Owen closed his eyes. Everyone was silent for a while.

Then a big light started to appear where Owen was stood. It started to get bigger and bigger. Then there was a huge BANG, followed by Owen's scream. Jack was thrown backwards, and smoke filled the area where Owen and the machine were.

'Is he okay?' Tosh asked, worry in her voice. Gwen, Tosh and Ianto began to look for Owen and Jack, and the smoke slowly began to clear.

Then they noticed Owen's body lying there, looking unconscious. 'Oh, God..' Gwen began saying.

Ianto had run over to where he saw Jack get thrown, and was shouting his name.

'I'm okay!' Jack's voice informed everyone, and Jack then appeared, walking towards Ianto, who gave him a huge hug.

Then Jack noticed Owen's body lying on the ground and ran over to it.

Jack felt his pulse, and then looked up at the team with sadness and worry. Just as everyone's hearts began to sink, something made everyone practically jump out of their skin. Owen gasped and sat up quickly, making Jack shout. Owen was gasping. Hold on.. _gasping_?

'You can breathe!' Tosh shouted. Owen took a few seconds to register what was going on. He then started to feel himself, his face, his mouth, his pulse.. he had a pulse. It had worked!

'It worked', Owen said, shocked. A smile began to appear on his face - and Jack's. And then everyone else's when they'd realised what had just happened.

'How do you feel?' Gwen asked him.

'A bit like a machine has brought me back to life, actually', Owen replied. 'Who's up for going back to the Hub? It's cold out here..' He had waited long enough to be able to say things such as how he felt, and he was even more excited for Ianto to make him a nice cup of coffee when they returned to the Hub.

'Thankyou', Owen said when Ianto had passed him his cup of coffee.

'Wow, you didn't even call me tea boy.. you've turned over a new leaf.'

'Get us some biscuits will you, tea boy?' Owen asked, winking at Ianto who walked away frowning, going to fetch Owen's biscuits.

Then Owen remembered about his hand.. and finger. He began unwrapping the bandage that he'd had to wear round his hand for so long..

'Ow!' he shouted, as the feeling came back into his broken finger. However the cut on his hand had already began healing. Faster than usual.. and so was his finger.

'Hang on..' Owen started to say. Jack looked at Owen's hand, frowning, then looked up at Owen.

'What, what is it? Why's his hand healing so quickly?' Gwen asked them both, her eyes flicking from Jack's expression to Owen's hand.

'That happens to Jack..' Tosh began saying. It then clicked in all of their heads.

'Shoot me', Owen said to Jack.

'Are you mental?' Gwen said loudly, looking at both Jack and Owen.

Owen ignored Gwen and continued looking at Jack, who slowly got his gun out of his coat pocket.

'No! What are you doing? You don't _know_. You could kill him... again!' Gwen shouted.

'Fine', Owen said, walking down to the autopsy bay and getting a scalpel. He then started cutting his hand open, his teeth bared and trying not to swear.

Then the scalpel dropped to the floor, his own blood dripping down onto the floor. Everybody watched in anticipation. About a minute later his hand started to heal.

'Jack, now shoot me', Owen said. Jack smiled, he knew what was about to happen, but everyone else wasn't so sure.

'Are you sure?' Ianto asked, looking alarmed, but he trusted Jack. Jack just nodded, and shot Owen in the heart.

Owen fell to the floor with a loud thud.

'Oh my God..' Gwen said, staring at Owen's lifeless body.

'Give it a few minutes', Jack said, taking a chocolate hobnob from Ianto, who was holding the packet in one hand and staring at Owen.

Gwen started pacing, and Tosh sat down in her chair, not taking her eyes off of Owen.

About five minutes went by and a gasp made everyone but Jack jump. It was Owen.

Gwen, Tosh and Ianto watched in astonishment, eyes wide open.

'It worked, then' Jack said, looking at Owen who then stood up, the hole in his clothes gone, with no blood or anything. He was perfectly fine, no evidence of him being shot at all. It took him a few seconds to realise where he was and what had just happened.

'Looks like I'm immortal too' Owen said, smiling to himself. 'Who wants to go out for a drink, to celebrate?'

Everyone had a black expression on their face. They'd been drinking a lot recently.

'I quite fancy staying at home, tonight.. I'm not used to this much drinking', Tosh said, getting her coat.

'Yeah, I think I'm gonna call it a night', Ianto said, then turning to Jack.

'I'll come', Gwen said, smiling.

'That's my kind of girl. See you later then, lightweights', Owen said as him and Gwen left.

Gwen was having a better time than she'd expected. Owen was ordering drink after drink, the smile on his face stayed there all night. It had been so long since he could have a drink.

After a while Gwen decided to ask about all the incidents in the past year that Owen had acted weird. With the necklace at Christmas and him watching her all the time.. and she was sure he'd barely picked up any girls in a long time. 'Owen, what was the deal with the necklace at Christmas?' she asked him. 'And all the staring..' she added.

Owen's smile left his face and he looked serious. 'Okay.. I don't really know how to say this..' he started.

Gwen waited for him to continue.

'I like you.. I have for quite a while now' Owen said, looking down. Gwen waited for him to look up again.

'Really?'

Owen looked slightly irritated. 'No, I'm just having a laugh' he said sarcastically.

Gwen didn't really know what to say.

Owen paused for a while. 'Actually, I think I'm in love with you..' he said. Gwen was surprised.

'Wow.. Owen', she started saying.

'I get it if you don't..' he started saying 'so, just don't mention-'

Gwen cut him off as her lips fell into his.

The kiss lasted longer than they both anticipated, and they'd forgotten where they were for a second.

'Err.' Gwen began.

'So, er, what do you wanna do now?' Owen asked her.

'Well, it's a big crowded here..' she began. 'And loud.'

'Right, erm.. we'll go back to mine then', Owen said. Gwen smiled and nodded. Owen downed his drink and then they left.


End file.
